


AFG:Missing

by CuriousxCrowley



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2016-10-06
Packaged: 2018-08-19 21:57:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8226025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuriousxCrowley/pseuds/CuriousxCrowley
Summary: Tegan’s six when she goes missing.Part of my A Fair Gift 'Verse





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not even remotely done with this 'verse and while I don't actually like the 'Meat' that I did I do plan to post more from around this time. But this particular piece has been begging to be written for a few weeks now. 
> 
> Unbeta'd as usual.

Tegan’s six when she goes missing.

Jack’s just spent the better part of an hour reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to her before bed. Well, really now it’s half an hour past her bedtime but neither he nor Ianto can say no when she asks for one more chapter. Jack wants to blame Ianto for creating their voracious reader, having bought enough books to stock a library when they first moved into the house, but he couldn’t quash the swell of pride when her teacher informed them she was reading several levels higher than her peers.

Tonight it was Jack’s turn to lay next to their daughter and read to her about fantastical lands until she fell asleep. Which means Ianto’s cleaning up downstairs. How three people home for four hours can make such a mess they’ve never figured out. But there are school papers to sign, stains to get out of jumpers and dishes to wash. They used to alternate nights but now Tegan picks who she wants to read and she’s been on a daddy kick the past week.

Jack comes down the stairs to find Ianto staring at the television in the sitting room with a frown on his face, a stack of cups held forgotten in his hand. Jack’s gut reaction is to think there’s been an invasion but one glance at the program is enough to tell him it’s both better and so much worse.

There’s a woman and a man standing on the steps outside a house, both of them are crying, but it’s the picture in the corner that nearly stops Jack’s heart. It’s a photo of a tiny girl with brown hair done up in pigtails with wide green eyes, there’s a near identical one sitting on the shelf only two feet from him.

“Ianto,” Jack says softly but it startles the other man and he jumps, the cups falling to the floor.

“She went missing this morning,” Ianto whispers and his eyes are wide.

Jack knows the answer but he can’t help when the question slips out. “Who?”

Ianto’s eyes narrow in a way that’s a warning not to mess with him. “Tegan. Tegan Carey went missing this morning from her back yard. Her mam was in the kitchen and when she looked out the window she was gone.”

“Ianto…” Jack stops because he doesn’t actually know what to say.

He’d been hoping they had more time before this happened or that they wouldn’t actually be aware when it did.

“That’s Tegan,” Ianto hisses gesturing at the TV which is now a news woman detailing the search effort, “that’s our Tegan.”

With that Ianto’s in motion and for a second Jack thinks he’s collapsing but instead the younger man is running. Tegan’s delighted squeal tells Jack his destination.

He’s torn between joining them and watching the broadcast when his phone rings. It’s Gwen.

No doubt she’s sat down to watch some TV with Rhys after getting Anwen off to bed and has seen the news.

“I know.” Is how he answers the phone.

There’s a sharp intake of breath. “How’s Ianto?” She asks and the worry is clear in her voice.

“Not so great.” Jack says and finds himself pacing at the foot of the stairs.

“And you?” He can hear the news woman in delayed stereo from his own TV and Gwen’s.

“I’m…” Jack hesitates, “not so good.” He admits because he’s not. There’s a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that’s a bit like dread. He’s not exactly sure what he’s dreading but it’s there nonetheless.

Tegan ends up sleeping in their bed with them and she’s probably to only one to sleep. Every time Jack turns his head to watch her, to reassure himself she’s alright, he catches Ianto doing the same thing. They don’t speak to one another, though.

When Jack comes down from his shower in the morning he finds Tegan sitting on the floor at the coffee table eating cereal and watching some kids program. He frowns when he notices she’s still in her pajamas. Normally in the mornings he finds them stand impatiently by the front door. Sometimes he’s intentionally late because they make the same irritated face and frankly its adorable.

Ianto’s in the kitchen with a mug raise to his lips but he’s not drinking, instead he staring at the newspaper on the table like it’s diseased. Jack sees the headline and sighs. “Two Year Old Missing from Backyard” and there’s another photo of Tegan big as life beneath it.

He grabs it off the table and stuffs it into the trash momentarily debating setting it on fire. When he’s leaning on the counter breathing heavily Ianto speaks.

“I’ve called her off school for the rest of the week.” He says and there’s a tone to his voice that seems like he’s daring Jack to contradict him.

Jack just nods because they don’t need an argument right now.

“I won’t be coming into work either,” Ianto continues. He’s standing now with his arms crossed over his chest and his back so straight Jack imagines his muscles are screaming.

Jack nods again. “That’s fine.” He says stiffly.

Ianto seems almost frustrated by this response and Jack knows it’s because he’s looking for a fight. Jack also knows he needs to leave before he gives in and they end up rowing in the middle of the kitchen. They both get ugly when they fight but this moment Jack feels could come to blows and the last thing Tegan needs to see is that.

He brushes by Ianto and grabs his travel mug and he’s a little relieved when he finds there’s coffee already poured into it. It means things haven’t changed so drastically overnight and Ianto is still going to take care of him. As he goes to leave the kitchen Jack stops and presses a kiss to Ianto’s cheek before continuing. It feels force and unnatural but he has to do it to show Ianto that they’ll be fine.

Tegan’s coming out of the sitting room with her dirty dishes and he pulls her into a tight hug. “Take care of Taddy today, he’s not feeling well,” he whispers into her hair before letting go.

She nods and he leaves.

Gwen tries to get him to talk but Jack just shuts himself in his office. He watches Ianto and Tegan on his computer through the security system in the house and does very little actual work. Martha tries at some point but she doesn’t push and leaves when he tries to subtly dismiss her. Ironically, in the end its Mickey who does it.

He walks into the room and throws himself onto the chair on the other side of Jack’s desk. “You’re moping.”

Jack rolls his eyes. “I’m working.”

Mickey snorts. “Hardly, you’re stalking Ianto and your daughter.”

Jack shrugs.

“Are you going to give her back then?” Mickey asks leaning forward.

Jack’s head is up like a shot. “What? No. We’ve had her for four years, there’s no way anyone will believe a child grew that much overnight.”

Mickey nods and Jack has this uncomfortable feeling they’re going to have a conversation about feelings and despite the fact that he genuinely enjoys having Mickey Smith at Torchwood, talking about feelings is not something they do.

“But you want to?” Mickey asks after a moment.

“No.” He doesn’t want to give her back. A dark part of him screams she’s been his daughter twice as long as they had her so he deserves her more. Even if they could convince the Carey’s of the rift and prove Tegan was their daughter grown up a bit Jack knows he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t change what Tegan had done for him, for them. They always say children won’t fix a broken relationship but they do change them. In this case it had been for the better.   

And then it hits him.

Ianto is no doubt sitting at home thinking the same thoughts. Jack knows Ianto loves Tegan with every fiber of his being and probably has since before he made the decision to keep her. But that love would be a war with the selfless person who can’t stand the grief of others if there’s something he can do about it.

Jack sighs. “I’ve got to get home,” he says and leaves Mickey sitting in his office on his way out.

When Jack gets home he finds them in the yard. Tegan has climbed up the tree and has a book in her hands, Ianto is sitting beneath her with what Jack recognizes as his journal.

“I keep thinking how I’d feel if she was gone,” Ianto says quietly looking down at his book. “They’re in agony.”

Jack sits next to Ianto so their legs and shoulders are touching. “We’re doing the right thing.”

Ianto looks up at him with an unreadable expression. “Are we?”

“There’s no way to take her to them and say ‘this is your daughter.’” Jack tries to reassure him. He can’t help but remember the other victims of the rift, the ones that seemed unharmed at first. They ended in tragedy just the same as the others. There were very true success stories and so far, he had counted Tegan as one of them, he was desperate to keep it that way.

He grabs Ianto’s hand as he stands and with a little resistance Ianto stands with him. “Let’s go.” Jack whispers cupping Ianto’s cheek.

Ianto raises an eyebrow. “Where?”

Jack glances up the tree to where their daughter is either very intently reading her book or doing a convincing job of looking like she’s not eavesdropping. “Hey princess, want to go to Paris?”

“Jack, stop it she’ll think your serious,” Ianto hisses pulling his arm away.

Jack smiles. “Who says I’m not?”

They only return to Cardiff, almost a month later, once Ianto starts to worry aloud about Tegan falling behind in her classes. Things fall more or less back to normal and when, only a few weeks later, Jack announces they’re having another child no one even bothers to look surprised.


End file.
